India gave priority to poor in its strategy to combat Covid crisis: PM Modi

Bhopal, August 07: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that as many as 80 crore Indians got free ration during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

These included five crore people from Madhya Pradesh, Modi said, during a video interaction with Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana beneficiaries from the state.

Referring to Corona pandemic as once in a century calamity, the Prime Minister said that entire nation stood as one to fight against the challenge. He reiterated that, in the strategy for dealing with the crisis, India accorded the highest priority to the poor. From the very first day itself, attention was paid to food and employment of the poor and labourers. Not only more than 80 crore citizens are getting free ration but more than 8 crore poor families got free gas cylinder.

Talking about the advantages double engine government at the state, the Prime Minister lauded the state government for record MSP purchase.

Madhya Pradesh, this year, purchased wheat from more than 17 lakh farmers and 25 thousand crore rupees were directly deposited in their account.

The state established maximum number of wheat purchase centres this year. In 'Double-Engine governments', state governments supplement and improve the schemes of the central government and increase their power.

To ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to economic disruptions caused by the pandemic, the Central Government through Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) almost doubled the quantity of monthly foodgrains being distributed normally to around 80 Crore beneficiaries in the country covered under National Food Security Act (NFSA) by providing them an additional quantity of 5 Kg foodgrains per person per month, free-of-cost, over and above the normal NFSA entitlement of their Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)/ Priority Householders (PHH) ration cards (i.e., 35 Kg per AAY family and 5 Kg per PHH person per month respectively).

Initially, this additional free benefit under PMGKAY was provided for a period of three months (i.e., April to June 2020). However, with the crisis continuing, the program was extended for another five months (i.e., July to November 2020).

After the onset of the second wave of the pandemic, PM-GKAY was once again rolled-out for a period of two months (i.e., May and June 2021) and was further extended for a period of five months (i.e., July to November 2021).